The Driftless Region of Northeast Iowa and Southwest Wisconsin, is an intriguing area to explore amidst the plains of the upper Midwest. Rolling hills, tall bluffs overlooking the Mississippi river and pockets of thick forests characterize this area, known for its ‘old blood’ American heritage. Many small towns with names such as New Vienna, Luxembourg and Prairie du Chien, pays homage to the rugged French Trappers who first explored this area in the early 1700s and then the scores of German immigrants who would come settle here in the 1800s.

For outdoorsmen and women, there’s quite a bit of things to do, including fishing, hunting, hiking and cycling.

The best way to visit this region, might be to arrive from the south. Beginning by taking US 61-N from the Quad Cities until branching onto US-20 W to Dyersville. After passing Macquoka and approaching the city of Dubuque, you technically have entered the Driftless Region on the Iowa side.

The town of Dyersville may actually be one of the very areas of Iowa that out-of-staters are actually familiar with, as it was the site of the Field of Dreams Movie. From here, you’ll hop on US-52-N to through the small historic towns of New Vienna and Luxembourg, which both are home to strikingly old and traditional Catholic churches. St. Boniface Church in New Vienna was built by German immigrants in the 1860’s, while Holy Trinity in Luxembourg was constructed by Luxembourgers around the exact same time. The European agricultural heritage of these small but strangely alluring Iowa towns is extremely evident and both give the impression you could live there your whole life without ever locking your doors.

After continuing on from these towns, you’ll drive on through more hilly and forested terrain, before descending these hills into the River Town of Guttenberg. Guttenberg is a classic Mississippi River town and one where many fisherman begin their search for Walleye, Bass, Catfish and Northern Pike fish. Right on the edge of the river, Guttenberg sits in front of a backdrop of tall hills and bluffs which help give The Driftless region it’s name. Continuing on North, you will continue on US 52 and you’ll climb up the rolling bluffs which will greet you with pretty impressive viewpoints of the Mississippi and neighboring Wisconsin.

Another 25 minutes or so on The Great River road and you’ll pass through a valley, more sprawling farm lands and eventually, the turn off into Pikes Peak State Park.

Pikes Peak

Pikes Peak State Park in McGregor, IA is a 960 acre Park, atop a 500ft Bluff over the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers. With over 11 miles of hiking trails, burial mounds sculpted by Native Americans a thousand years ago and a small waterfall, dubbed, Bridal Falls, Pikes Peak legitimately competes with some of the top State parks in Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin.

Pikes Peak has an intriguing human history, beginning over a thousand years ago where local Native American tribes used the land to build spiritual burial mounds with the remnants still existing along hiking trails today. Centuries later, after the Europeans discovered the Americas and The United States became independent from Great Britain, explorer Zebulon Pike visited the area in 1805. Intriguingly, Pike arrived in the area right when Meriweather Lewis and William Clark were traversing the Northern Rocky Mountains during their famous Corps of Discovery Expedition, whose integral purpose was to explore the land acquired by Thomas Jefferson in The Louisianna Purchase.

At the top of the bluff in modern day Pikes Peak State Park (1,130ft in elevation), Zebulon Pike determined the area would be ideal for a US Army outpost, due to its expansive viewpoints of the surrounding area.

Pike would go to explore much more rugged and remote areas of what was then, America’s frontier and today most people recognize his namesake in Pikes Peak mountain (14,107ft) in Colorado’s Front Range.

Reserving a spot at the Pikes Peak State Park campground during the months of Autumn is a very popular activity here, as waking up to the fall air with surrounding red and yellow trees which spread out over an expansive sightline across the river convergence attracts travelers from across the Midwest.

McGregor

The small town of McGregor, just a couple miles down the road from the entrance to Pikes Peak Park, is another historic town in the Driftless Region that has made a name for itself thanks to it’s beautiful natural surroundings and walkable downtown area that is full of stories which date to the town’s establishment in the Civil War era. The North Iowa Times is one of the oldest newspapers in Iowa and still has an office on Main Street. Tall wooded bluffs stand directly behind the town, making the town appear as if it is nestled in a small mountain valley and certainly gives it a distinct vibe among the rest of small towns in Iowa which are usually placed on land that is flat as a pancake.

Indeed a couple of the buildings in downtown are even built directly into the limestone bluffs which now serve as small condos that can be rented out to visitors.

Establishments like The Little Switzerland Inn, a historic Inn dating to the 1860’s is in perfect walking distance to everything you’d want to see in McGregor. Antique shops, Coffeeshops, Saloons and Old Man River Brewery are some of the main draws for business in downtown.

The history and unique layout, just makes it easy to imagine a time when McGregor served as a sort of a outpost amidst the still wild and unsettled lands of the upper Midwest.

Effigy Mounds National Monument

A few miles north of McGregor, is Iowa’s only National Park, Effigy Mounds. While technically a National Monument, Effigy Mounds is a gem of not only the Driftless Region but of the entire Midwest. Miles of hiking trails within the Mississippi Bluffs, through wooded glens which contain thousand year old Native American burial mounds, make Effigy Mounds a highly intriguing park to explore.

Hanging Rock trail in particular, is a 7 mile roundtrip hike that traverses over two Mississippi Bluffs and through multiple Native American Mounds. Hiking here in Autumn is probably the best time of year, but even in winter, these trails can be highly rewarding and even challenging for adventurers.

Prairie du Chien

Crossing the River over into Wisconsin and into another Outdoorsmen’s type town of Prairie Du Chien, is inevitable if you want to get the full Driftless Region experience. More Mississippi Bluffs, hiking trails, dining and lodging, along with an even older historic allure make this town a favorite among Wisconsinites, Iowans and Illinois residents.

Prairie du Chien of course gets its name from the rugged French Trappers who arrived here in the late 1600’s, over a hundred years before The United States would declare it’s independence from England.

It is Wisconsin’s second oldest city after Green Bay.

The town began as a Trading post established by the very well Traveled Frenchman, Nicolas Perrot. Born in France in the 1640’s, he decided to come to America or the territory that was then called New France, at a young age. He sailed on a most likely, disease infested ship with Jesuit Missionaries across the Atlantic, before traversing further inland to the Great Lakes Region. He made a living trading with the local Native tribes and specialized in trading guns for furs. European demand for furs, particularly from Beavers, foxes, deer, otters and other local animals, remained extremely high well into the 1800s.

After visiting the Cabela’s on the North Side of town, maybe you will head to St. Feriole Island Park, a 240 acre island on the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi Channel and a site of extreme historical significance. Three Indian treaties were signed on this river island, which is really just an extension of the Prairie du Chien community today. During the War of 1812, the Americans and the British had a battle on this island, striving for control of the community for it’s strategic military location on the upper Mississippi and its importance in the Fur trade economy.

Why Explore The Driftless Region

The Driftless Hills of the upper Midwest are a welcome escape amidst the dreary and notoriously vanilla landscapes that characterize most of the Midwest. Whether in a car, boat, bicycle or motorcycle, one can experience the rugged lands, waterways and historical remnants which played an integral part in the history of the United States.